Lady&#39;s stocking having stretchable zone



Nov. 27, 1956.

M. F. WELLER LADY'S STOCKING HAVING STRETCHABL'E ZONE Filed July 26, 1952- INVENTOR.

K T TOKIVEY 2,771,758 l LADYS STOCKING HAVING STRETCHABLE Max F. Weller, South Temple, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Patentex, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 26, 1952, Serial No. 301,099

4 Claims. c1. 66-172) This invention relates to 1adies"hosiery, and more particularly to hosiery, such as nylon hosiery, having a longitudinally stretchable zone or bandfabove or' adjacent the knee which will absorb strains. as a consequence of bending of the knee and thereby prevent undue tension of the threads or downward pull of thestocking.

It is well known in the art to provide in ladies nylon hosiery a longitudinally stretchable 'zoneabovethe knee which serves as a strain absorbing zone since itincorporates fine gauge elastic rubber yarnfor ,the purpose of imparting stretchability considerably beyond that of the nylon fibers from which the stocking is made. .-,Various arrangements for knitting the rubberyarn-angl .of combining or alternating it with the :basicpyldnyarn have been devised in the past in an attemptptmprevent the inherent tendency of the rubber yarn to acurlflndzbecome unsightly and to tend to form ribs, since knitting of rubber yarn inherently imparts tension thereto, but these 2,771,758 Patented Nov. 27, 1956 ice gitudinally stretchable band portion above the knee adjacent to the knee) which is knit entirely from the basic nylon or other suitable fiber and in which longitudinal stretchability is obtained by imparting twists in opposite directions in adjoining courses or groups of courses of the stocking giving it a remarkable range of longitudinal stretch so as to allow free bending of the knee without imparting longitudinal strains or bagging of the stocking- Other objects and advantages of the invention will. become apparent from a study of the following specification taken with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the top portion of a ladys nylon stocking (extending from the region of the knee upwardly) and embodying a longitudinally stretchable zone at or above the knee knit from the basic yarn of the stocking in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure -2 .is a modifiedform of a ladys nylon stocking including in addition to the longitudinally stretchable zone shown in Figure 1 a garter top and being devoid of a welt..

attempts have not met with success. ;.-.-Moreover, many continually contacts the skin, therefore rare-unable to wear stockings embodying-such-rubber yarn. ;Additionally, from the standpoint of appearance rubber-yarn is readily discernible and does not compare in sheemess or attractiveness with knitted nylon.

For many years the method of support of ladies stockings has been a perplexing problem anddespite the many obvious disadvantages of supporting them with supporters extending from girdles, this continues to bethe accepted way for suspending ladies stockings. While it has been attempted to eliminate the necessity of girdles and supports by sewing garter tops on ladies stockings, these have not been successful because as a consequence of bending of the knee the garter is drawn downwardly of the womans thigh therefore causing bagging at the knee after the knee is straightened which requires pulling up of the stockings numerous times. If 1 it is attempted to overcome this tendency by making the garter tighter, severe strains and tensions exist; besides weltso'r deep skin impressions are caused by long wear of tight garters causing discomfort. Even if it were attempted to combine a garter top with a rubber knit strain'absorbing zone above the knee, the tension created in the rubber as a result of knee bending will tend to pull'the garter downwardly of the thigh and cause bagging at the knee followed by bagging of the entire stocking.

An object of'this invention is to overcome the above mentioned disadvantages and to provide a novel longitudinally stretchable zone at or above the knee in ladies full fashioned or circular knit stockings of nylon,=or other suitable material, which zone is entirely devoid ofrubber yarn and which is completelyknit of the same basic fabric as the remainder of the stocking or other suitable relatively inelastic fabric and yet which inherently. provides Figure 3 is an enlarged diagrammatic view showing a portion of the type of knitting in the longitudinally stretch- I able zone embodied in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 shows a modification wherein adjoining single 7 courses are made up of yarn twisted in opposite directions.

Figure 5 is a schematic representation-of the alternate ing double courses made up, of yarn twisted in opposite directions as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and

Figure 6 is a similar schematic view showing a modification of the knit construction wherein three transverse courses (instead of two)-are made up of yarn twisted in one direction and the next three, ofyarn twisted in the opposite direction, and the next three of yarn twisted in the same direction, etc.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1, numeral 1 generally denotes the top portion of a ladys stocking, such as a nylon stocking, extending upwardly from the knee and comprising an upper welt 2 and a longitudinally stretchable band portion or strain absorbing zone 3 located above the knee, or in some cases at or adjacent the knee. The purpose of the longitudinally stretchable zone 3 is to allow it to take up the stretch and permit free bending of the knee without exerting undue longitudinal strains on the fiber of the stocking. In other words, band portion 3 will freely stretch longitudinally to a considerably greater extent than the remainder of the stocking lengthening perhaps of the order of 1 /2 inches, thus preventing undue strain to the portion of the stocking where the garter is attached, and providing comfort to the wearer of the stocking.

Figure 2 shows a modification of a ladys stocking wherein the welt is eliminated and replaced by garter top 5 made of suitableelastic material, such as a conventional garter, sewed to the top, and wherein a longitudinally stretchable band portion 3a, which may be of identical construction as band 3 in Figure 1, is located immediately adjacent the garter top although it may be spaced from the garter top if so desired. The longitudinally stretchable band portion 3a likewise is preferably located above the knee or perhaps slightly below the knee..

An important and outstanding feature of the present invention resides in the construction of the'longitudinally stretchable zone or band portion 3 or 3a of Figures 1 and I '2, respectively.

A more specific object of this inventionv is itos provide, 1

in ladies nylon hosiery, a strain absorbing zone or lon- Figure 3 most clearly shows the particular construe tion of the knit in one embodiment of the invention as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Broadly stated, the longitudinal band portion 3 of Figure 1 (or 3a of Figure 2) is knitted from the same basic fabric, such as nylon, as the remainder of'the stocking and is entirely devoid of rubber yarn; Longitudinal stretch is imparted by virtue'oflongitudinally twisting the threads of the respective courses or groups of courses in opposite directions. For instance, asshown in Figure 3, one preferred embodiment is to provide'a twist in one direction to two successive courses, andatwist in the opposite direction to the next two successive courses, and again a twist in the same direction iirthe-following twosuccessivecoiifs'e s, and so on. Stated'diiferently, a longitudinal right twist is imparted to the top horizontal courses whereas a left twist is imparted-to the succeeding two courses, then a right twist to-the next two succeeding courses, and so on. As a consequence of such alternate longitudinal twisting of succeeding double courses, there will be a sinuous or zigzag pattern-in the longitudinal rows. Therefore, it will be apparent-that upon longitudinal stretch of the band por tion-from the. normal position shown as caused by bendingof'the knee, there will be a tendency for the .vertical zigzag rows to straighten out and ultimately become straight ver-tical rows at the limit of longitudinal stretch. The greater the amount of twisting, the greater will be the: angleof these zigzag vertical rows andhence the greater. the longitudinal stretchability. A longitudinal stretch of the order of 1% inches or greater, which is adequate, is easily obtained from the construction shown in Figure.3 as .wcll as the succeeding figures in the drawing.

The selection of double courses twisted in opposite directions'- in Figure 2 arises mainly from the desire to avoid accentuating the width of a group of courses and toy-make the longitudinally stretchable band almost alike in appearance with the knit in the remainder of the stocking. It will beapparent that instead of double courses, triplecourses may be twisted in opposite directions.

Figure 4 shows very schematically a modification of the knitting arrangement of Figure 3, that is, a single course twisted in onedirection and an adjoining single course twisted in an opposite direction and so on.

Figure 5 shows diagrammatically the knit construction-shown in Figure 3 wherein two courses are twisted in one direction and the next two courses are twisted in an opposite direction and so on.

Figure 6 shows a still further modification wherein three courses (that is, the horizontal or transverse rows) are twisted in one direction, the next three in an opposite direction, and so on.

It will become apparent that other modifications will readily suggest themselves, such as course groups of 4 or larger, the threads of each group twisted in opposite directions from the threads of adjoining groups, or perhaps unequal groups of courses whose threads are twisted in opposite directions in some geometrical pattern so long as there will be a number of courses twisted in one direction and a number in an opposite direction throughout the width of the band portion. Preferably the total number of oppositely twisted courses should be substantially the same throughout the width of the band portion.

A very important feature of the present invention resides in the method of imparting a twist to the threads in order for them to provide the amazing stretchability heretofore unknown and to assume the pattern shown in Figure 3 and the succeeding figures.

The yarn for the longitudinally stretchable zone 3 or 3a in Figures 1 and 2, respectively, stated briefly, is made of a synthetic resin such as nylon, or of rayon or other suitable basic fibers (but not rubber). It will be apparent that two types of yarn must be prepared, one twisted in one direction, which we might call a'right twist, and the other twisted in the opposite direction, which we might call a left twist. A description of the method of twisting one of these types, such as the right twist, will sufiice to indicate how both types are twisted.

' To give a right twist to the yarn the yarn is first redrawn on a spinner bobbin and spun about 35 turns, more-orless, that is,- it is given 'a right twist of about 35 turns onto a take up shaft. The right twisted yarn is then placed 'in' a conditioning'box in which is maintained a temperature of about 220 degrees F. dry bulb-200 wet bulb for about eight hours. After such conditioning the yarn is allowed to relax for about 24 hours (while the right twist prevails) in anconditioned room at a temperature of about degrees F; and about 50% humidity. The yarn-isthenrc-drawnaud twisted-in a reverse direction (-to the left) about-the .same number or a greater number of turns, thatis from about 35 to perhaps 40 or a greater number-of'turns. Then it is placed'in the same high temperature conditioning. box described above at the same elevated temperature indicated for about the same length of.time::(eight hours) and then relaxed for about 24 hours in. -an air, conditioned room at about 80 degrees F. and 50% humidity, and afterwards sized and oiled for delivery. The initial right twist that has been imparted will have become. set fol-lowing the conditioning and'although' a left twist is' afterwards imparted the thread when completed will have a very pronounced'righ-t twist. Y

The methodof-makingthe'yarn with a left twist for adjoining courses is substantially the same as described above exceptthat-the respective twists are in the opposite direction, that is to-say-th'eyarn is initially twisted to the lef-tinsteadof --to theright for about 35 turns, or so, and

after high-temperatureconditioning, it is allowed to relax atroom temperature; twisted to the right and conditioned again athi-gh temperature and finally relaxed at room temperature; sized and 'oiled {or delivery. Of course variations may be: made in thenumber ofturns, temperature, humidity, ete'within the contemplation of the above described m'ethod. 1

By use=o-fa-stripingattachment the alternations or zig lagging ofadioining courses or course groups may be obtained;

Thus it-will be seen that -I' have provided a longitudinally:stretchable'zoneonband portion at or above the knee which-is knitted o the=sarne basic fiber, such as nylon, and devoid of rubber together with its attendant disadvantages; which band portion has a remarkable degree of longitudihaL-stretch-heretofore unobtainable, making it an etfective substitute for the conventional rubber containing; above-the-knee strain absorbing zone. In view of the. amazing degree of longitudinal stretch it is possible to use. a garter-top, such' as shown in Figure 2, without the danger of pulling down of the garter as a consequence ofzthe high degree of longitudinal tension that would existeven in a rubber knit strain absorbing zone as; causedby bending of the knees. Also I have provided ailongitudinally stretchable zone which has a knit of-attractive appearancezand which may be of the same or diiferent deniers, such as alternating deniers. That is, alternate; courses or course groups may be of the same or.-differentzdcniers. Andmost important I have provided a strain-.take;up .zone which is readily stretchable in a, longitudinalidirection and located at or above the-kneeiand which; by virtue of its being knit of the same-basic. fabric asthe remainder of the stocking providesan-extrernely comfortable feel or fit against the thigh;.and which will {not cause welts or skin impressions and the ,-disc0mf0rt--ascaused by strain absorbing zones having-rubber yarn incorporated therein.

And finally, I have provided an etficient construction for ladies:hosierywhich will enable dispensing of the use of supporters. and=girdles and the discomfort of wearing them without'sacrificing the ability to support the stockings neatly at-all-timesirrespective of frequent bending of the knee.

Instead of knittingthe stretchable zone above the knee it may -be.knittcd'below the knee instead.

Althoughstretchable band portion 3 or 3:: in figures I and 2, respectively, are described as being part of a stocking it will be apparent that they may be incorporated in other-=fabrics=whereinstretchability is desired, such as girdles, undershirts, etc. Furthermore, either vertical or horizontal or even angular band portions may be integrally knit in the fabric. In some instances the entire fabric may embody the stretchable knit described in the present invention.

While I have illustrated and described several embodiments of my invention and a specific method for twisting the yarn in either direction, it will be understood that these are by way of illustration and example only and that various changes and modifications may be made within the contemplation of my invention and within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A stocking having an integrally knit strain absorbing zone above the knee having a substantially greater stretch longitudinally of the stocking than the leg portion of the stocking, comprising a plurality of transverse bands knitted of relatively inelastic thread of synthetic resin, the thread of certain bands being longitudinally twisted in one direction and the thread of adjoining bands being longitudinally twisted in an opposite direction, each of said bands comprising no more than four courses so as to eliminate band efiect in the appearance of said zone.

2. A stocking having an integrally knit, longitudinally stretchable zone located generally above the knee having a substantially greater stretch longitudinally of the stocking than the leg portion of the stocking, comprised entirely of relatively inelastic knitted thread of synthetic resin formed into a plurality of transverse courses, the thread of alternate courses being longitudinally twisted in one direction and the thread of intermediate courses being longitudinally twisted in an opposite direction, whereby zig zag vertical rows are obtained which provide stretchability in a longitudinal direction.

3. A ladys nylon stocking including a top portion extending above the knee, said top portion having an intermediate integrally knit, longitudinally stretchable band portion comprised entirely of nylon thread and having substantially greater longitudinal stretch than the leg portion of the stocking, groups of transverse courses of said thread in said band portion being longitudinally twisted in one direction, and other groups of thread of other transverse courses being longitudinally twisted in an opposite direction, whereby substantial longitudinal elasticity is provided in said band portion, each of said groups comprising no more than four courses.

4. A ladys stocking including a top portion located above the knee having a greater stretch longitudinally of the stocking than the leg portion, said top portion having an integrally knit strain absorbing zone knitted entirely of relatively inelastic thread of synthetic resin, including a plurality of pairs of transverse courses, the thread of alternate pairs of courses being longitudinally twisted in one direction, and the thread of adjoining intermediate pairs of courses being longitudinally twisted in an opposite direction thereby forming zig-zag shaped vertical rows providing substantial vertical elasticity to said band portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,898,001 Carrner Feb. 21, 1933 2,095,069 Kugelman Oct. 5, 1937 2,097,763 Hemmerich Nov. 2, 1937 2,102,730 Meyers Dec. 21, 1937 2,124,508 McNamee July 19, 1938 2,203,721 Dingley et al. June 11, 1940 2,279,180 Snader Apr. 7, 1942 2,564,245 Billion Aug. 14, 1951 2,583,748 Reinstein Ian. 29, 1952 

